Video: Lights turned off at Raynham Park

Monday

Dec 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMDec 28, 2009 at 2:14 PM

The line of people walking greyhounds to the starting box out on the Raynham Park track began with Chris Carney, the son of track owner George Carney. He was followed by state Rep. David Flynn of Bridgewater, a longtime advocate for the park, also walking a dog out onto the brightly-illuminated track. The rest of the dogs that took part in the final race of the park’s 69-year history were led out by Carney family members just moments before midnight Saturday.

Kyle Alspach

The line of people walking greyhounds to the starting box out on the Raynham Park track began with Chris Carney, the son of track owner George Carney.

He was followed by state Rep. David Flynn of Bridgewater, a longtime advocate for the park, also walking a dog out onto the brightly-illuminated track.

The rest of the dogs that took part in the final race of the park’s 69-year history were led out by Carney family members just moments before midnight Saturday.

The crowd of several hundred gathered next to the track hollered and clapped as the ceremonial walkers passed by, en route to the starting box.

The crowd knew what was happening.

After 56 percent of Massachusetts voters chose last year to ban dog racing in the state as of 2010, park officials decided Saturday would be the final night of live racing.

It turned out to be a night experienced by many — park officials estimated between 4,000 and 5,000 people attended the evening races.

Visitors filled every area of the facility, many enjoying meals, drinks and laughs with friends one last time at the Raynham Park they have always known.

“It was wonderful here, just so much fun anytime you’d come,” said Terra Muratore, 45, of Taunton. “It’s very sad.”

The park will remain open, but only for simulcast betting on races taking place at tracks elsewhere. Hopes have been raised that slot machines will revive the facility, which had been in decline for many years even before the racing ban.

But most park-goers said it won’t be the same without live racing.

And so as the starting gate sprang open for the last time, loud cheering broke out. The cheers would continue as eight greyhounds dashed twice past the grandstand.

The last race lasted just a minute. Then it was over.

Off to the side of the track, tears streamed down the face of Heidi Doherty of Middleboro, an assistant trainer at the track.

Doherty, 52, said it was her last day as a trainer, but that she’ll be staying on at the track to assist with having some of the older dogs adopted.

“I don’t think there’s really words for it,” she said, when asked about the end of racing at the track.

The winner of the final race was Fuzzy’s Big Shot, a 22-month-old male greyhound.

His trainers, Mike and Terry Boyd of Taunton, said the dog will leave on Sunday for Florida, where he will start a new life racing at the Mardi Gras Racetrack in the city of Hollywood.

After the final race, longtime track announcer Tony Bonaminio thanked visitors for coming to Raynham Park and said the track would begin its transition to a simulcast-only center on Sunday.

He then sang a line from a Willie Nelson song over the loudspeaker: “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.”

And with that, the lights illuminating the track went dark.

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Enterprise writer Kyle Alspach can be reached at kalspach@enterprisenews.com.